Second Season Affords Klesko the Opportunity to Turn Things Around

Ryan Klesko was not among the sluggers who reveled in the excitement of this season.

The Atlanta Brave outfielder endured his worst season while others broke home run records. But Klesko worked hard to maintain his standing with the Braves, and the regular season eventually ended.

And when the postseason began, Klesko put the bad times behind him. He played a key role in helping Atlanta sweep the Chicago Cubs in the National League division series.

The Braves are counting on Klesko in the championship series beginning tonight against the San Diego Padres at Turner Field.

Klesko believes things are improving--and not a moment too soon.

“There were some tough times, some times when things just weren’t going right, when you really don’t know what to do,” Klesko said. “I felt like that a lot because my swing just wasn’t there, and nothing was working.

“The thing about this game is that it’s humbling, and sometimes things don’t work for you no matter what you do. I think I had one of those years.”

His power numbers were the worst of his career since he became a full-time player in 1995. In 427 at-bats, Klesko hit 18 homers and drove in 70 runs.

The previous two seasons, Klesko had hit 34 and 24 homers, respectively. He drove in a career-high 93 runs in 1996, and 84 last season.

And his power outage was especially troubling in the wake of what other power hitters were accomplishing. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa stirred renewed interest in baseball while shattering Roger Maris’ single-season record of 61 homers.

“It definitely wasn’t my typical year,” said Klesko, who grew up in the Southland and went to Westminster High. “I got off to a real slow start, and I never really got into a groove, at least like I’m used to.

“When you’re used to having success, it’s hard when you have a year like this because you expect certain things out of yourself. I didn’t get that out of myself this season.”

Of course, he did contribute to the best regular season in team history. The Braves set a franchise record with 106 victories, and Klesko had a strong first half with 13 homers and 47 RBIs.

His second half was a nightmare.

Klesko had only five homers and 23 RBIs after the all-star break. Despite batting .274 overall, he struggled.

“It obviously wasn’t a great year, but I’m not going to keep reflecting back on everything,” the five-year veteran said. “It wasn’t like I had eight homers and 30 RBIs, it just wasn’t the type of year I’m used to having.

“It doesn’t do me, or the team, any good if I just keeping thinking about what went wrong. I’m not going to apologize for it.”

No need to, Atlanta Manager Bobby Cox said.

“He kept tinkering with his swing, and he never got settled in,” Cox said. “But he’s the type of guy you stick with because he’s out there working all the time. That’s something I knew we didn’t have to worry about.”

Klesko broke open Game 1 of the division series with a seventh-inning grand slam against reliever Matt Karchner in a 7-1 victory. The Braves credited Klesko for providing the initial spark against the Cubs.

“He hit one to give us a cushion, and I think that really got us going for the rest of the series,” pitcher John Smoltz said. “He had kind of a tough year, but the thing that has helped this organization be successful is that people are always willing to put in the work to fight through problems.”

Klesko said the playoffs are his second chance.

“I can’t do anything about the past, I can only concentrate on what’s happening now,” Klesko said. “That’s why I just told myself to be ready when the playoffs started. That’s what I worked for.”